25 Days in Tokyo—14 to 16: Kyoto the Human

In late October, 2015, I was in Tokyo, Japan for 25 days. I shot many photographs. This series presents the most interesting, compelling, or touching person or scene I saw each day I was there. Click here to see the previous entries.

Exactly one year ago, give or take a day, my wife and I went to Kyoto for three nights. We stayed in a traditional room at a ryokan in Gion. My wife had always wanted to see Kyoto, and I really wanted her to. But I’m a die-hard fan of Japanese pop culture as opposed to Japanese traditional culture, so I have always been ambivalent about going there. Now I’m glad I did, because it’s a lovely town and I’d like to see it again. Kyoto is smaller than Tokyo, and does not seem quite as frenetic and cramped. And the people seem friendlier, warmer, easier with a smile.

Perhaps they’ve been conditioned to be that way by the constant stream of tourists through the city. But my instincts told me that Kyoto gets so many tourists, at least in part, because its people are just that way naturally.

November 14th

Shijō Dōri, Gion

Issen Yōshoku, a restaurant in Gion

November 15th

Rehearsing here on Hanamikōji Dōri for some kind of video shoot

Yamato Oji Dōri, Gion

Togetsukyō Bridge, Arashiyama

 November 16th

Firefighters, Gion (Gionmachi Minamigawa)

Shijō Dōri, Gion

(Kyoto, Japan 2015)